The Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson in the Taliban’s interim government, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, urged the international community to press Israel to resume the flow of goods into the Gaza Strip. He posted this plea on the social network X, calling on all nations and leading international bodies, with special emphasis on the United Nations, to uphold their duties and to halt what he described as the punitive measures against the Palestinian people by an Israeli security apparatus that he characterized as punitive and discriminatory.
Prior to Balkhi’s statement, the Israeli National Security Service had approved measures that halted the delivery of essential goods, electricity, and fuel to the Gaza Strip. Officials justified these steps as necessary to prevent a perceived escalation and to undermine the military and political capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as to reduce what they view as ongoing threats to Israeli citizens for many years ahead.
On 7 October, Hamas claimed the launch of several thousand rockets toward Israel and announced the initiation of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response to the mounting hostilities, Israeli security authorities declared a state of emergency, a move described by senior officials as a precautionary step to mobilize resources and manage the volatile security situation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly stated that the nation was at war as military operations intensified. The Israel Defense Forces named their campaign against Hamas as Iron Swords, with air strikes and ground action coordinated to target listed Hamas compounds and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. In the course of these operations, Israeli forces conducted strikes against more than twenty Hamas targets located across Gaza, part of a broader effort to degrade militant capabilities and disrupt command and control structures.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant described the anticipated response to the Gaza situation as unprecedented, adding that its impact would be remembered for decades. The statements reflect a high-stakes confrontation with broad regional implications, drawing responses from multiple international actors who have urged restraint and called for humanitarian considerations amid ongoing fighting.